Jersey City man charged with making $85K worth of purchases on fraudulently obtained credit card

A Jersey City man has been charged with using a fraudulently obtained credit card to make $85,000 worth of purchases. Star-Ledger photo

TRENTON -- The state Attorney General has charged a Jersey City man with using a fraudulently obtained credit card to make $85,000 worth of unauthorized purchases throughout New Jersey.

Lasean C. Harps, 37, was arrested on Friday on charges of second-degree theft by deception, second-degree impersonation & theft of identity, and third-degree fraudulent use of a credit card.

"Mr. Harps allegedly racked up tens of thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise on what he believed would be someone else's dime," Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said in a statement. "The charges brought today by the Division of Criminal Justice are the first step in making sure that this defendant is brought to justice and held accountable for his alleged crime."

The state alleges that between Sept. 20, 2012, to Feb. 1, 2013, Harps, using a Chase Bank Visa credit card he fraudulently obtained using the alias of "Antoine Taylor," made illegal purchases at 38 locations across New Jersey, including in Hudson County.

Also Friday, the Division of Criminal Justice charged Harps' girlfriend, Courtney M. Wilson, 31, of Jersey City via complaint-summons with third-degree tampering with a public record or information and third-degree hindering apprehension or prosecution.

It is alleged that Wilson provided New Jersey State Police detectives with false information in an effort hinder the investigation into Harps' alleged crimes.

Second-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000 while third-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years in state prison and a crime of up to $15,000.